Tony Hawk Responds to Backlash Over 'Pro Skater 3 + 4' Soundtrack

Tony Hawk has offered a response after fans have shared their disappointment over the soundtrack for his Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 video game update.

The last few years have seen Hawk revive his popular Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video games with new updates, but particular interest has been given of late to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 as the in-game soundtracks had such an impact on turning a whole generation of gamers onto certain acts.

Earlier this spring, word started leaking of which songs from the original game would return for the new update. But as fans found out over time, the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 would only feature 10 songs from the original game.

Meanwhile, some more modern acts were added to the soundtrack and other acts from the original game were still represented, but a different song was chosen for this edition. Plus, there were some acts whose music was cut altogether once the finalized soundtrack was revealed.

What Fans Were Saying About the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 Soundtrack?

Change is not always easy to accept. And it seems there were some fans noticeably upset over some of the music selections as the soundtrack rolled out. "[I'm] putting on the old soundtrack. This one sucks," noted one commenter on social media.

"I’m gonna start a full scale riot if Check, Pulse, What’s the Matter Man, The Boy who Destroy the World, Giant, Spokesman, Shimmy, Fight Like a Brave, Blitzkrieg Pop, Among the Madness, Wish, Anarchy in the UK, TNT, Simple Song, Offspring, and Seneca Falls are not in the game," added another.

"Lame AF. So many songs missing that need to be there," added a third.

Multiple commenters lamented the omissions of tracks from Alien Ant Farm, System of a Down, Ramones and others that had been part of the original version of the games.

Others seemed to at least appreciate the inclusion of new music, though still sharing disappointment at the omissions.."I wont say the soundtrack is ruined because new songs are good but they gutted it. For a remaster of 3 and 4 its a pathetic effort the amount of old songs that were put in," remarked one fan. "The song picks are nice, but this ain't gonna scratch that nostalgia itch like 1+2," added another.

Another person offered, "To every person still complaining about the soundtrack, just open up Spotify and make a playlist for crying out loud." See a sampling of responses to the soundtrack selections below.

What Tony Hawk Said About the Pro Skater 3 + 4 Music Choices

While speaking with BBC News, Hawk shared that back when the original games came out, he had done his best to reflect the music of the skateparks that he grew up in that had a mix of punk rock, hip hop and ska. But along with his choices, Activision's music department suggested some of the more modern acts that aligned with his musical vision.

As for the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 update, he offered, "These days, it's just what I think fits and what I'm interested in," though he clarified, "i'm not the only decider in these soundtracks, but I did manage to throw a couple of bands in there that I was stocked [on], like Fontaines D.C., IDLES and an old one, X-Ray Specs. So those are three that are definitely my personal input. And I also picked songs by artists that were already in the game, but a different song."

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Acknowledging some of the divisive reaction the new soundtrack has yielded, he shared, "Not everyone agreed with those decisions, but I'm like, 'Let's keep it fresh.' Also, here's help discovering other music. In the beginning, I think that's what people expected of it. Once the soundtrack was a prominent part of the game, people were like, 'OK, what are you going to throw at us now.' It was almost like an underground radio show."

Within the BBC interview, the host revealed a video clip in which Alien Ant Farm's Terry Corso shared his disappointment over "Wish" not being included in the new updated version. That was something several fans also mentioned in their comments of the new game soundtrack.

"I wasn't zeroing in on them per se," shared Hawk about their exclusion. "It was more just trying to make room for new acts and new songs as well and not everything makes the cut. It's nothing personal and I appreciate that people have a fondness for that song, especially in relation to our game. So just fire it up on your streaming service if you're so inclined."

The skateboarding legend also added, “I’m hoping that discovery is half the fun, and a big reason these soundtracks resonated in the first place. So listen and enjoy the ride.”

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 was just released and is available to purchase and play now.

Tony Hawk Speaks With BBC News About Pro Skater 3 + 4's Music Choices